Car Optional in Denver?

"Car Optional" is a choice in Downtown Denver lofts and condos.

All Metro Denver has now been ranked by Wall St. 24/7 as the 7th best city in American where a car is truly optional. Frequency of public transportation, average commute times to work and the expanding light rail system were cited as contributing factors. But, downtown Denver dwellers in lofts and condos have long enjoyed life with “car optional” for some time now.

Location, location and location is the mantra of the real estate business. But perhaps no where does this saying ring more true than in the urban city market.  Downtown Denver condo and Downtown Denver loft residents have long sung the praises of their car optional lifestyle.  And they do so with good reason.

Downtown Denver has drastically changed over the past two decades.  The creation of neighborhoods like Riverfront Park and the emerging growth of the LoHi cultivated a pedestrian friendly framework supporting new restaurants, shops, and amenities.

The city of Denver did it’s part as well with some of the best and brightest urban planners and transportation architects weaving together a system of bike/pedestrian friendly bridges, bike lanes, and of course the new light rail system with the new Union Station. The result is Transportation Oriented Communities downtown and along the major public transportation lines throughout the metro Denver area.

For residents in these Downtown Denver condo and Downtown Denver loft neighborhoods this means a great opportunity to live car free.   Which in this period of inflated and rising gasoline prices can mean huge economic savings.  It can also mean the difference between a short walk or light rail ride versus a time draining traffic congested commute.

Looking at the changes in business and real estate development projects gives us another perspective on the increased value placed on car optional living.  The past two years have seen the explosion of many bike and car sharing programs.  B-Cycle took the city by storm as many took to the streets on two wheels instead of four.

Spire Condos offer condo residents short term cars for rent.

Meanwhile new real estate projects such as SPIRE in the heart of the theater district offered one of the Denver’s first car optional real estate projects.  Since car optional is still a relatively new choice in Denver, SPIRE also partnered up with Connect By Hertz for an in-building car sharing service.

How Does Denver rank in compared with the rest of the country?  According to Wall Street 24/7 Denver is one of the leaders.  Here is their top 10 Car Optional cities:

1. San Francisco – Oakland – Fremont CA
2. Portland – Vancouver – Beaverton, OR-WA
3. New York – Northern New Jersey – Long Island, NY-NJ-PA
4. Honolulu, HI
5. Seattle – Tacoma – Bellevue, WA
6. San Jose – Sunnyvale – Santa Clara, CA
7. 7. Denver – Aurora, CO
8. Salt Lake City, UT
9. Los Angeles – Long Beach – Santa Ana, CA
10. 10.  Boston – Cambridge – Quincy, MA-NH

This could be one more reason why Denver attracts so many companies and people for Denver relocation.

Contact me to learn more about the incredible Downtown Denver lifestyle or any of the great real estate opportunities in our great city.